Ghosts of the remote West Kootenays
The towering mountains of southwestern British Columbia have long attracted nature lovers, fortune seekers and adrenalin junkies, as well as those with something to hide — or something to hide from. Rugged and remote, the peaks and valleys of the West Kootenays have plenty of fascinating stories tucked in their forested folds.
For a scenic but haunted drive, take the loop along Highway 6 from Nelson to New Denver, then the twisty Hwy 31A to Kaslo and back to Nelson along Hwy 3A and take in these sights along the way.
In the late 19th century, Nelson was a prosperous city of merchants providing supplies to silver prospectors. Later, it became a refuge for Doukhobors fleeing persecution in Russia and Americans dodging the Vietnam War draft.
Today, it has a laid-back, artsy vibe — be sure to check out the funky boutiques and restaurants along bustling Baker Street, as well as the large number of well-preserved heritage Be sure to check out the funky boutiques and restaurants in laid-back, artsy Nelson. homes.
A little bit north, in the valley known as the “Silvery Slocan,” you’ll find the picturesque village of New Denver, once a silver mining boom town, now a destination for outdoors adventurers. In a much darker time, it was an internment camp for hundreds of Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War. Their lives are commemorated at the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre, a National Historic Site that opened in 1994.
Another former silver boom town is Sandon, halfway between New Denver and Kaslo and today B.C.’s most famous ghost town. In the late 19th century, it had a population of more than 5,000, two railroads, several taverns and even more brothels. Then a flood almost wiped it out, followed by plummeting silver prices, a devastating fire, and another flood. Sandon simply faded into the wilderness.
Today, the railway lines have been turned into hiking trails and the old mercantile building is a museum. The best reason to visit, though, might be the 10,000 silver coins rumoured to lie on the bottom of the stream that runs through town.
Further down the road, Kaslo began as a sawmill camp, but like its neighbours grew rich on the silver boom. Evoking those heady days is the SS Moyie, the world’s oldest surviving intact sternwheeler. The ship has been beautifully restored and is now a National Historic Site.